Welcome to the second issue of Canada Country Aircheck Digital Magazine. We will have a new issue each Tuesday with more in depth articles for the Canadian country music industry. We will still have our daily newsletter and the reason for starting a digital magazine format is many have asked for more detailed articles which is something we couldn’t do in our regular daily newsletter. I want to thank all those that read our first issue and the many e-mails we received. We are really happy with the first week numbers and how many pages everyone read. WOW is all we can say. In this issue we have The Road To London which keeps you up to date as the CCMA Music Week gets closer. Our Cover story is on Canada’s hottest group Cold Creek County who you will be able to see during CCMA Music Week. We have our review of the Top DMDS downloads for the past week. In our radio news section we have a list of new singles, Pick Hit of the week, and some very interesting research material. We have our Indie News bringing you up to date on Indie artists and we have a feature on The Hunter Brothers. We will have some syndicated programming ideas for programmers and we bring you the news from Nashville. We’d love to hear from you. If you are a radio station and you want to share your new adds with other country radio programmers and music directors we’d love to receive them. We are working on having charts in each issue coming soon we hope. If you have interesting news send it to us. If you are a radio station and you are looking for staff send us an e-mail and we will put it in our Opportunities section at no charge. If you are on air talent or sales person and you are looking for your next opportunity send us an e-mail and we will post it free. Artists send us any news you have on your career, photo’s if you are visiting radio stations and make sure we are on your DMDS send list. If you have a story idea send it to us and we will consider all submissions. You can send all e-mails to us at news@canadacountryaircheck.com We look forward to hearing from you.
COLD CREEK COUNTY CANADA’S HOTTEST COUNTRY GROUP
Drive an hour and a half East of Toronto and you find a mecca of music talent. From Peterborough which gave us Neil Young and now home to Arkansas native Ronnie Hawkins to Trenton where the Wilkinson’s started their career and now we have the members of Cold Creek County that are from the Brighton, Hastings and Frankford area. Cold Creek County formed in 2013 and were signed to Sony Music in late 2014. In just over a year Cold Creek County have become the hottest group in Canadian country music. This quick climb to stardom happened due to Warren Copnick, Director of A&R at Sony Music Entertainment (Canada) who saw the potential and quickly signed them to Sony Music. All of us in the entertainment business know this doesn’t happen very often in today’s music industry. Nestled in the rural in-betweens of Peterborough and Belleville, Ontario, Brandon Scott (lead vocals/acoustic guitar) calls Brighton, population 4,800, home. Drummer Doug Oliver is from nearby Hastings and its 1,200 population. Josh Lester (guitar/vocals) and Justin Lester (bass/vocals), the sons of bluegrass master Emory Lester, hail from the outskirts of Frankford, population 2,500. Lead guitarist Trevor MacLeod, the relative city slicker in the group, is originally from Stratford, Ontario, population 30,000. Band members literally cross Cold Creek to get to each other’s homes. “I’m a small town guy and I love it,” says Oliver. “Because I’ve been here so much and my community has been so supportive, everyone is loving and small towns have that I’ve-got-your-back vibe no matter what.” “Our Town”, the first single from the band’s debut release, is a rousing sing-along that celebrates what happens when everyone in town lets loose on Friday night. “Our Town”, Cold Creek County’s debut single was produced by Scott Cooke (Chase Rice, assistant engineer on Florida Georgia Line, Jake Owen, Dallas Smith) and co –produced by Oliver, who also co-manages the band with Chief, the titular head of Chief Music (Florida-Georgia Line, Dallas Smith, Chris Lane and Joey Moi).
“Our Town” was released in April 2015 and became the most added debut single by a Canadian country artist. In July of 2015 “Our Town” reached into the Top 10 on the BDS and Mediabase charts which is quite an achievement for a debut single. The video for “Our Town” showcased small town living by having the video shot in their hometown area and inviting residents to be part of the video. The album “Til The Wheels Come Off” was released on October 16 th 2015. The second single was “Til The Wheels Come Off” which peaked at 15 on the charts and “Beer Weather” a great summer song peaked at 18 on the charts. Cold Creek County’s brand new single is called “Still That Way” a cool song that talks about relationships and love that stands the test of time and after many years is “Still That Way”. We predict that this single will be another Top 10 for Cold Creek County.
In May of 2016 Cold Creek County walked away with three awards at the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards. They won The Rising Star Award, Group of the Year and the coveted Fan Choice award. They are nominated for three CCMA Awards this year including Rising Star, Group of The Year and Video of The Year for “Our Town”.
Cold Creek County have spent the summer touring across Canada playing major festivals to major crowds of fans. To achieve success in this business you need to have a strong team behind you. Cold Creek County have aligned themselves with top management Chief Management who also manage Florida Georgia Line, Dallas Smith, Chris Lane and Joey Moi. Chief believes Cold Creek County, who’ve already opened for the likes of Emerson Drive, Kira Isabella and Jason Blain in their short time together, have what it takes to touch country fans, be they from small towns or big cities. “Cold Creek County is a band that has all the pieces to the puzzle to succeed,” he says. “They’re great people with a great drive. They can play, sing and write music that is current and relevant to the country world and their dedication to putting on an amazing live show will surely transform into a large fan base that will follow and love this band.” Cold Creek County deliver a powerful, dynamic sound that’s already captured a sizeable fan base. Being heavily influenced by Country and Rock, the band brings both worlds together in a way that’s sure to get your feet stomping. We feel that Cold Creek County have many successful years ahead of them including more hit records and headlining tours and expanding into the US market as groups like Emerson Drive have before them. Visit them online at http://www.coldcreekcounty.com/ Listen across Canada as Cold Creek County host the Labour Day Weekend Radio Special.
AM to FM Promotions is proud to work with Canadian Country Artists, and we are particularly proud to be working alongside Alessia Cohle and Jade Mya!
Alessia Cohle's new single, "How Bad" is at country radio now! Alessia performed at the Manitoulin Country Fest on August 6th and wowed the crowd. During the CCMA's, you can see Alessia perform at 11:30 am on Saturday, Sept 10th at the Diamonds in the Rough showcase Visit Alessia online at www.alessiacohle.com
Jade Mya has just released her debut CD, "Heartbreak Country". The launch of the anticipated album was released nationally with street teams at 6 major cities across Canada The third single from the release, "Telescope" is at country radio now. Catch Jade Mya at the 2016 CCMA's. Visit Jade online at http://www.jademya.com/
Andrea Morris AM to FM Promotions
63 Thirteenth Street Toronto, ON M8V 3H3 416-469-1314 cell: 416-527-2967 mailto:andrea@amtofm.com http://amtofm.com
RADIO NEWS
Radio News
Radio Sales & Marketing Executive Tracy Lamoureux
MOST ADDED
Joins Golden West Radio In Airdrie OK we had a lot of e-mails asking if that was Tracy with Joël in last week’s issue. No it was Brett Kissel. Here is the real Tracy. by [Article Tracy leaves Author] Country 101.1 in Ottawa and joins Golden West Radio.
Luke Bryan Move Florida Georgia Line … May We All
Tracy will take on the roll of selling radio air time at AIR 106.1 and Joël and Tracy are excited to have the opportunity to again work in the same building with Golden West Radio.
Kenny Chesney … Setting The World On Fire … Medium Current
Congratulations to both Joël and Tracy and we wish them lots of success in Alberta. They will be missed in Ontario.
Aaron Pritchett Out of The Blue
Still Time To Order The Labour Day Weekend Three Hour Special Hosted by Cold Creek County!
e-mail steve.graham@cool-broadcasting.com
Maren Morris 80’s Mercedes
Number 1 Song this week is our friend Dierks Bentley w/Elle King……Different For Girls
RADIO NEWS
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If you guessed Eric Church for our Guess The artist last week you were right!
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Eric Church To Tour Canada In 2017 Eric Church has announced he will play a series of dates across Canada in 2017. Tuesday, February 28: London, ONT Budweiser Gardens Thursday, March 2: Toronto, ONT Air Canada Centre Friday, March 3: Ottawa, ONT Canadian Tire Centre Saturday, March 4: Montreal, QUE Bell Centre Tuesday, March 7: Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre Thursday, March 9: Saskatoon, SK SaskTel Centre
Friday, March 10: Edmonton, AB Rexall Place Saturday, March 11: Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome Tuesday March 14 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
RADIO NEWS
Spark New Album From Drake White
Drake White is officially burning up trails and charts with the release of his debut album on Dot Records. Spark is due out on Friday, Aug. 19 and features his current single “Livin’ the Dream."
Since we began this journey-- working on the album--I knew I wanted the title to be Spark,” said White.“The idea of starting a fire from a tiny spark has always been so intriguing to me. That’s the way I have always lived my life; starting with a small plan and then it becomes this dream I didn't even know to dream.” White's Spark album cover tells the visual story of who Drake White is as an artist, husband and nativeAlabamian.
NEW SINGLES Our Pick Hit of The Week Jason Benoit “All Wanna Party” William Michael Morgan “I Met A Girl” Hunter Brothers “Long Way To Love You” Andrew Hyatt “That’s How I’m Livin’ Dean Young "Tennessee Honey" AJ Pallas “Gold Coin”
Tell Us Your Favourite Song of all time and why! We all have a favourite song that has a meaning in our lives. Music is powerful and we relate a certain song to a certain event in our lives. Tell us what your all-time favourite song is and if you still have a copy of it. E-mail us at news@canadacountrya ircheck.com
Amanda Riley “Your Worst Hangover” Aaron Lewis “That Ain’t Country”
The images imprinted into his silhouette paint a narrative of White's life, including his wife Alex, his hometown church where his grandfather served as preacher, his dog Writer and other mementos that inspired his first full length album for Dot. Recorded in Nashville, the Ross Copperman and Jeremy Stover produced project contains 12 tracks, 10 of which White co-wrote.
RADIO NEWS
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JASON BENOIT & DEAN BRODY
Cold Creek took over the morning show at Country 105.1 in Peterborough last week pictured here with Ron McFarland
Backstage at Eastbound Hoedown Jason Benoit climbing the charts with “All Wanna Party” hanging out with Dean Brody who is also climbing the charts with “Bush Party”.
Pictures of the Week Send us your pictures so we can share them. Send them to news@canadacountryaircheck.com
WHO IS THIS?
Meghan Patrick Hangs Backstage at the Opry with Carrie! Meghan Patrick got to hang out backstage at the Opry on August 10th and hung out with Carrie Underwood you know her as Mike Fisher’s wife!
FAST FACTS
Brett Kissel gives away a lot of Guitars each year to young people like this little girl. I’m sure she was Cool With That
A little Fun: Guess who? He was born in 1962 and his name is Troyal. He was named after his Dad who was a draftsman for an oil company. His Mom was a country singer signed to Capitol Records in the 50’s. The family hosted weekly talent nights. All of the children were required to participate, either by singing or doing skits. We once asked what Troyal did as a kid. He said he and his brother would dig holes around their property. He learned to play both the guitar and banjo. His primary focus was athletics. In high school, he played football and baseball and ran track and field. He received a track scholarship. Do you know who it is? Send us an e-mail news@canadacountryaircheck.com
RADIO NEWS
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Some Seminars You will want to Attend at CCMA Music Week. CCMA INDUSTRY LUNCH & AWARDS INDUSTRY ONLY Friday September 9 – 11:30AM-1:30PM* London Convention Centre, Grand Ballroom
The CCMA Industry Lunch & Awards recognizes some of Canada’s most influential music industry professionals, spanning specialties from radio and festivals to video directors, producers and management. This event highlights and recognizes those who work to promote country music, There is not a lot of information on the CCMA web site yet but we thought we would list days and times. CCMA SEMINAR SERIES: SEMINAR 1 INDUSTRY ONLY Friday September 9 – 1:45-2:45PM* London Convention Centre, Salon B, B1 Developed around themes that are not only relevant, but also prevalent to the Canadian country music industry, the CCMA Seminar Series features panel discussions by experts on various topics. CCMA SEMINAR SERIES: SEMINAR 2 INDUSTRY ONLY Friday September 9 – 3:15-4:15PM* London Convention Centre, Salon B, B1 Developed around themes that are not only relevant, but also prevalent to the Canadian country music industry, the CCMA Seminar Series features panel discussions by experts on various topics.
CCMA LEGENDS SHOW: A TRIBUTE TO YESTERDAY AND TODAY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Friday, September 9 – 8:00-10:00PM Centennial Hall You won’t want to miss the CCMA Legends Show: A Tribute to Yesterday & Today; as this once-in-a-lifetime event pays tribute to Canadian country hits of the past by pairing some of Canada’s most cherished country artists, including Hall of Fame inductees, with rising and current stars of the industry. CCMA Legends Show Performers: The Abrams Donna and LeRoy Anderson Marie Bottrell Johnny Burke George Canyon Doc Walker Murray McLauchlan Jessica Mitchell Small Town Pistols The Western Swing Authority The Wilkinsons Bobby Wills Michelle Wright Hosted by Randy Owen from Country 107.3
Next week we will devote our issue to the CCMA Music Week so you can plan your week .
Top DMDS Downloads for August 15th to August 19th AUGUST 15TH
AUGUST 19TH
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
1. Hunter Brothers “Long Way To Love You” (Open Road Recordings)
Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Universal) Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice “A Little More Love” (Warner) Billy Currington “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” (Universal) Ronnie Dunn f. Kix Brooks “Damn Drunk” (Big Machine) Cold Creek Country “Still That Way” (Sony)
2. William Michael Morgan “I Met A Girl” (Warner) 3. Andrew Hyatt “That’s How I’m Livin’” (Wax/DMD Promo) 4. Keith Urban “Blue Ain't Your Color” (Universal)
AUGUST 16TH
6.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Most Added This Week
Aaron Lewis “That Ain’t Country” (Dot/Big Machine) Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Universal) Amanda Riley “Your Worst Hangover” (Indie/L. Tutty Promo) Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice “A Little More Love” (Warner) AJ Pallas “Gold Coin” (Indie/Radio Active Promo)
AUGUST 17TH 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Cold Creek Country “Still That Way” (Sony) Keith Urban “Blue Ain’t Your Color” (Universal) Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice “A Little More Love” (Warner) Carrie Underwood “Dirty Laundry” (Sony) Domino “We Just Did” (Carefree/L. Tutty Promo)
AUGUST 18TH 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Andrew Hyatt “That’s How I’m Livin’” (Wax/DMD Promo) Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice “A Little More Love” (Warner) Amanda Riley “Your Worst Hangover” (Indie/L. Tutty Promo) Lisa Nicole “Where Love Goes To Die” (Indie/Pitbull Promo) Billy Currington “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” (Universal)
Cold Creek County “Still That Way” (Sony)
Luke Bryan “Move” Florida Georgia Line “May We All” Kenny Chesney Feat Pink “Setting the World On Fire” Maren Morris “80’s Mercedes” Aaron Pritchett “Out of The Blue” Dierks Bentley holds on to the number 1 spot this week with “Different For Girls” Top Canadian on the Charts is James Barker Band with “Lawn Chair Lazy” at # 5
MARQUE EVENT IN DOWNTOWN LONDON SET TO LAUNCH COUNTRY MUSIC WEEK 2016
The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®), in partnership with the London Host Committee for Country Music Week 2016, will stage the Jack Daniel’s Country Music Week Kick-Off Party on the evening of Thursday, September 8. This large scale street party, which will close Talbot Street between the crossroads of King Street and Dundas Street, will launch the 40th anniversary celebration of Country Music Week and commemorate London being host city of the event for the first time. “Country Music Week 2016 has been years in the making,” said Chris Campbell, Chair of the London Host Committee. “Piloting an event unique to our city, one that truly captures the enthusiasm London has for country music and that can be used as a building block for future events was a goal of our host committee. It’s rewarding for us to see this event come to life – it will surely be one for the London record books”. Branded the Fanshawe College and Downtown London Stage, Thursday night’s line-up includes:
Amy Nelson James Barker Band PETRIC Meghan Patrick JoJo Mason Cold Creek County Aaron Pritchett Tim Hicks
Talbot Street will be closed between King Street and Dundas Street Tuesday, September 6 through Sunday, September 11 for various programming. In addition to the Jack Daniel’s Country Music Week Kick-Off Party, a Country Music Week launch event will be held in the space during the noon hour on Thursday, September 8 (details to be announced later this month), stage entertainment for Friday and Saturday will be programmed by a third party (to be announced at a later date) and the grand finale on Sunday includes the CCMA Awards Show Countdown Concert and John Deere Green Carpet. Country Music Week 2016 will be held in London, Ontario, September 8 – 11. For the latest information on Country Music Week, visit ccma.org
GORD BAMFORD, CHAD BROWNLEE, BRETT KISSEL AND SPECIAL GUEST KELSEA BALLERINI TO PERFORM ON THE 2016 CCMA AWARDS SHOW The Canadian Country Music Association® (CCMA®) announced this morning that Gord Bamford, Chad Brownlee, and BrettKissel joined by Carolyn DawnJohnson will perform at the 2016 CCMA Awards Show on Sunday, September 11. The CCMA is pleased to welcome special guest Kelsea Ballerini, who will also perform. Being broadcast from London, ON and hosted by Canadian television personality Jessi Cruickshank, the 2016 CCMA Awards Show will air live on CBC at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) with an encore airing on CMT (Canada) at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Previously announced acts set to take the stage: Dean Brody, High Valley, Madeline Merlo and Jess Moskaluke. Gord Bamford stands as one of the most decorated artists in Canadian country music with an impressive 20 CCMA Awards and multiple JUNO Award nominations. He’s also recognized stateside as one of only three Canadians, and the only two-time winner, of the Country Music Association’s 2013 and 2015 CMA Global Country Artist Award. It’s his distinctive sound and songwriting ability that defines Gord Bamford as one of country music’s best neotraditional artists. Bamford’s seventh studio album, Tin Roof, is nominated for the 2016 CCMA Award for Album of the Year. With over one billion radio impressions to date, Chad Brownlee has seen his singles rapidly climb the country music charts, with multiple songs cracking the national Top 10, including his recent single “I Hate You For It”. Throughout his career, Brownlee has received critical acclaim and numerous accolades including a highly coveted 2013 JUNO Award nomination for Country Album of the Year, and most recently multiple 2016 CCMA Award nominations, including Album of the Year for Hearts on Fire, the fourth release in his discography. Brett Kissel has now been nominated for a CCMA Award a total of 19 times in his young career. Apple Music Canada named his sophomore release Pick Me Up the best country album of 2015, CBC included it on their list of top Canadian albums and it earned Brett a JUNO Award nomination for Country Album of the Year. His latest single, "Cool With That", has become his eighth consecutive Top 10 radio hit – including a No. 1 single with “Airwaves.” Joining Kissel for his performance on the CCMA Awards Show is one of the top leading ladies in Canadian country music – 17-time CCMA Award winner and JUNO Award-winning Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Kelsea Ballerini launched to stardom with two consecutive #1 smashes – PLATINUM-certified "Love Me Like You Mean It” and GOLD-certified follow-up “Dibs” – from her critically acclaimed debut album The First Time. Ballerini is the first solo female artist in 15 years to hit #1 with her first two country singles and one of only 11 women to have ever hit the top of the charts with a debut. Her latest GOLD-certified single, “Peter Pan” is flying up the country radio charts. Awarded Billboard’s Rising Star honor at the prestigious 2015 Women In Music event, Ballerini continues to rack up the accolades earning her first-ever ACM Award win for New Female Vocalist of the Year, the fan-voted Radio Disney Music Award for The Freshest - Best New Artist (all genre) and the American Country Countdown Award (ACCA) for Breakthrough Female of the Year. She’s thrilled to be performing on the 2016 CCMA Awards Show. Eight CCMA Awards will be presented on the 2016 CCMA Awards Show. The broadcast will feature a number of special performances and collaborations, and will include appearances by a collection of Canadian personalities and country music acts. Additional CCMA Awards Show performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks. Bristow Global Media Inc. will produce the show for the second year in a row.
CCMA DISCOVERY SHOWCASE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC (GENERAL ADMISSION) Thursday September 8 – 8:00-11:00PM* London Music Hall
Ticket Price: $25.00 +HST (CLICK HERE to purchase) Purchase a ticket to the CCMA Industry Opening Reception and get access to the CCMA Discovery Showcase for free *Included in Country Music Week delegate pass
The six 2016 CCMA Discovery Program finalists come together one last time, as each performs separately and vies for the attention of a secret panel of judges who are onsite to decide this year’s CCMA Discovery Award winner (presented at Saturday’s private industry event, the CCMA Gala Dinner & Awards). The finalists, who were selected through a rigorous, nationwide jury selection process, first met at CCMA Music Industry Discovery Week. During this week, they learned, in-depth, about the music business and artist development through industry-led information sessions and seminars, performance and vocal coaching, styling, media training, etc. Their showcase during Country Music Week is the culmination of their efforts.
Showcase Host & Performer: Beverley Mahood 2016 CCMA Discovery Program Finalists: Tenille Arts (Weyburn, SK) DaniElle (Pitt Meadows, BC) Eric Ethridge (Sarnia, ON) Livy Jeanne (Androssan, AB) Runaway Angel (Toronto, ON) TwoShine County (Calgary, AB) Special Guest & 2015 CCMA Discovery Award Winner: Raquel Cole
SPECIAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE FALL LABOUR DAY RADIO SPECIAL HOSTED BY COLD CREEK COUNTY! This three hour special is themed with the stars of country music talking about jobs they had while working on their careers. Over 18 of the biggest stars in country music appear in this three hour special. This music intensive special is fun, entertaining and has become a fan favourite.
Some of the stars that appear include Eric Church talking about selling 200 knives at 3 in the morning, Carrie Underwood worked in a pizza place, Blake Shelton painted houses, Dean Brody worked in a saw mill, Gord Bamford drove truck, Tim Hicks was a fast food technician whatever that is and the list goes on and on. There is still time to sign up for this special. Over 20 markets have signed up already. E-mail us today at steve.graham@cool-broadcasting.com
A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS 12 HOUR SPECIAL
For 28 years we have producing our A Country Christmas. This 12 hour special is star driven and music intensive with up to 15 songs an hour. Stories about their favourite Christmas gift, Christmas memory and their family tradition. The biggest stars in country music drop by. Each year we do a brand new show and is heard across Canada, USA and Europe. Can Con is included and each hour can run on it’s own so your sales department can maximize sales by running the special an hour a day and then repeat the special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. To get more information and hear a sample contact us at steve.graham@cool-broadcasting.com Ask us about our 12 hour Looking Back 12 hour special and a Thanksgiving Special.
THERE ARE TWO WORDS IN “MUSIC BUSINESS”
As the title of this article says there are two words in Music BUSINESS with the second word being a very important one. You may have great talent and great songs but you need to look at it as a business. Yes music can be fun but you need to get radio airplay and you need to build a fan base in order to succeed. This all takes team work and not is something you can do all by yourself as many have found out. In this article we will try to help you through the process.
Business Plan Like you would with any other business you need to have a business plan in place that has several goals to achieve in a period of time and that will help you determine how many dollars you will need for your project. First thing you need to do is to build a strong team. In your team should be people who believe in your talent and your music. Start with a strong management team that has experience in the music business. Together work on budgets for your project and source ideas for funding the project. You need to realize that in the beginning it is all money out and little coming in until you have built a strong fan base. You will need to budget for recording, producer, musicians, and a top mastering engineer. Remember you need to have strong production that will compete with all the other songs that you hear on the radio. You will need to budget for a tracker and find the tracker that is right for you and your music. A tracker gets the ears and attention of radio music directors for your music. A good tracker will get your music on radio. Don’t expect that you will get every radio station playing your single. This is unrealistic. Maybe start as a goal with small to medium size markets and then move on to reporters. Reporters will not add you single until they see some action from other markets. You will need a good PR person that has the contacts to get you press in newspapers, magazines, TV appearances and in today’s market key web bloggers. Radio station tours are important and can be costly. While you are on a radio tour they may not put you on air because your music and name is not familiar with their listeners but it is a great way to meet one on one music directors and program directors so they can put a face to the music. Add into your budget advertising dollars and money for a professional social media company that will handle all your Facebook, Twitter etc accounts. Once you have the product recorded and your team in place you need to figure out the best time to release. As an example don’t release in mid to late November unless it is a Christmas song because you will not see many adds from radio as they are in Christmas music mode. Do research and find out when rating periods are because unless you are a super star chances of being added during a rating period can be slim especially if you are a new artist and unfamiliar to radio stations. All music received by radio
today are in a digital format like DMDS. So you need to budget for actually sending to radio. You can pick and choose what markets you want to target or you can send to all country radio in Canada. Get the advice of your team as to who you send your single to. Remember that none of your team is going to work for the joy of working. They have families to feed and they are in business to earn a living. So now you have set your goals and the budget you need to achieve your goals and you are sitting there scratching your head saying to yourself where am I going to get the money I need to make this plan a workable. And believe me when you do the plan you will see many dollars going out and few dollars coming in. Here are some funding ideas for you. Funding Ideas There are many sources available to you. Feel lucky you are in Canada and not in the US because it is much harder to find the money needed to compete in the US than it is in Canada. Understand that banks will not be of help as most banks do not consider the music business to be a real business. First place to look is family and friends. Sometimes that can be uncomfortable for most of us unless Donald Trump is our uncle. So what we do? Check out Grants that may be available. A lot of times these can be difficult to get but if you have a track record it can make it easier. In today’s market Crowd Funding is a great way to raise the funds you need. It can take time but well worth it since you don’t give up any part of your career but instead offer perks to those that help fund your project. You can check out Kickstarter, Go Fund Me or Indie Go Go as a few examples. Read their tips on how to be successful in raising the funds you need and come up with creative perks for those who contribute to your campaign. With Kickstarter you have to reach your total goal before the release funds to you. We like Indiegogo because you can set a goal you want to reach and even if you don’t reach the total goal you can source those funds but make sure you can deliver the perks you have offered. Allow as much time as you can to achieve your goal and put together a creative plan that will get potential contributors a good reason to send you their hard earned cash. Do a creative video maybe include a song or part of a song that you will record but make sure the quality of the video is good. Talk to the audience like you were talking to a close friend and explain why they should help fund your project and why you feel you will be successful. Make the perks cool and give your audience a reason to help fund you. Once you have it all together and up and running it is time to promote your Crowd Funding page and using social media is a great way to get fans interested in your campaign. Along the way keep fans informed as to how your campaign is doing. People like a personal touch. Interaction is key in Crowd Funding. Corporate funding is another possibility but may be more time consuming and many hurdles to overcome. If you have a song that maybe fits a product or service and you can find a way to make it all gel together that will give the company a great return on their investment you may have something they are interested in. In the corporate world they look at what return is in it for them. If you have a huge social media following say on FB, Youtube or Twitter this may be of interest to some companies. They want a lot of information such as who your audience is, age demo, do they have spending power and list all the benefits for the company to be involved. If it all fits you may have a way of funding your project. Think outside the box. I remember once when managing an artist we went after General Motors on an idea of sponsoring our Motorhome and having the motorhome wrapped with their message. We looked at where we were going to be traveling and then they looked at how many impressions they would get for the money they would need to invest. We worked hard on this presentation with lots of research but they did not fund us because they felt we were not reaching their target group because the act I had presented was too new and did not have a huge fan base. The point is figure out who your team could approach and do your homework and it just might work for the right company. Every company today is looking for ways to break through all the clutter that we have in our world today by reaching their targeted audience in a unique and creative way. We have started off with building a business plan, hiring your team and funding ideas. In the next issue we will continue with some cool promotional ideas and we will share some research material that will help you create your BRAND and build a large fan base.
FEATURED ARTIST OF THE WEEK AMANDA RILEY
PERFORMED WITH AARON PRITCHETT (JOINT CONCERT) ★ HAS OPENED FOR CHARLIE MAJOR, DEAN BRODY, CHAD BROWLEE, JESS MOSKALUKE ★ ONE OF OLE's TOP 8 in 2015 "ON THE SPOT" COMPETITION ★ PERFORMED A CCMA SONGWRITERS’ SERIES WITH DERIC RUTTAN ★ ALBUM “IT COULDA BEEN ME” - COUNTRY RECORDING OF THE YEAR NOMINEE, MUSIC NOVA SCOTIA ★ FINALIST, CMT’S REALITY SERIES “BIG IN A SMALL TOWN” ★ CONTESTANT, CANADA’S GOT TALENT
With the release of her debut album ”It Coulda Been Me”, Amanda Riley brought her Nova Scotia-grown country sound to audiences across the country. The album’s first two singles, Summertime With You and Take The Country Road introduced this talented young artist to Canadian country fans and earned her a nomination for Music Nova Scotia Country Recording of the Year. It Coulda Been Me is a display of both her powerful vocals and modern country song-writing style.
Riley hails from Chester, Nova Scotia where she is known as “the little girl with the big voice”. She gained nationwide popularity as a finalist on CMT’s Big In A Small Town, and has shared the stage with the likes of Aaron Pritchett, Charlie Major, Deric Ruttan and Dean Brody. She was recognized as one of Ole’s top 8 singer/songwriters during CCMA week in Halifax September 2015. She also had the privilege to open the MDM Recordings Showcase during CCMA 2015 week and was also a featured artist on George Canyon’s ‘ Down East Country’ radio and television program.
This past weekend Amanda played at Sheet Habour and drew big crowds. Amanda continues to perform her original material as well as play many shows with her cover band of the past 7 years. Her years of experience, immense vocal talent and awesome stage presence are sure to please every audience that hears her. Amanda’s new single is called “Your Worst Hangover” Have a listen here!
Amanda has a bright future in country music and she is one to watch!
INDIE RELEASES
Ben Hudson “Redneck Summer”
Alecia Aichelle
Dean Young “Tennessee Honey”
Jade Naraine “You Decided To Stay”
Karac Hendriks “Can’t Help Loving You”
"Country Life"
Alessia Cohle “How Bad”
AJ PALLAS “Gold Coin”
Jenn Lane “This Life Of Mine”
Jade Mya “Telescope”
BIG MACHINES METHOD FORGET THE FORULA!
We received a press Release from “Big Machine” of an article that appeared in the Nashville Business Journal written by Nathan Morgan that we thought we would share with you but first I thought I would share my history I have had with Scott. I first met Scott Borchetta back in the days when he was at Dreamworks Records home of Emerson Drive, Toby Keith, Jimmy Wayne and several others. I was a small syndicator with a weekly show called Cool Country hosted by Jenny Gill, Vince’s daughter. All labels in Nashville welcomed us with open arms and allowed us to have access to their artists. At the time Dreamworks saw the potential of the show and like all other labels in town welcomed us with open arms and we had Emerson Drive on as our very first guests. Dreamworks ended up closing and we all wondered what would happen with the staff. Scott took some time and started Big Machine Records. I should mention Scott’s whole family is involved in the music business. His Dad and Mom have a label, His sister has her own label and his brother Chris is in California as a record promoter. So music all runs in the family. Now let’s look at the article by Nathan. “The label is often heralded as a homegrown success story for Nashville’s famed Music Row, an independent outfit excelling alongside the industry giants.” Let’s go back in time for a bit: The year is 2005, and Scott Borchetta, a former radio promoter turned independent record label founder, is standing on a red carpet with Taylor Swift. Scratch the image of the $240 million superstar from your mind. Right now, she’s just a teenaged singer/songwriter from Pennsylvania with a guitar and enough talent to grab Borchetta’s attention and a record deal on his fledgling Big Machine label. She’s not even invited to this party, where industry mainstays waltz by in designer gowns and tuxedos, grinning for flashing bulbs and fielding interviews from eager reporters. We now know that Swift will eventually become the name and red-lipsticked face behind mega hits like “Shake It Off” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” but at this point, Borchetta and precious few others (namely his wife and creative director, Sandi Spika Borchetta, and his general manager, Andrew Kautz) see this potential.
Still, Borchetta is not deterred. “Trust me,” he tells one reporter as he tries to strong-arm some publicity for his newest signee, “a year from now, you’re going to wish you’d done this interview.” Borchetta was right, of course. During the next 10 years, Swift would smash one industry record after another, becoming an international sensation. Fans who have followed Swift’s career know her as an artist who takes calculated risks that seem to pay off time and time again (see her beef against Apple Music’s early artist royalty structure that caused the media giant to quickly shift course — and snap up Swift as a celebrity endorser), and for that reason alone, she is perfectly at home at Big Machine. Not surprisingly, Swift’s ascent greatly benefited Big Machine. But one successful artist doesn’t necessarily equate to a successful label. And if Swift’s part of the Big Machine Label Group story is common knowledge, what’s less known is how the company has managed to stay on top. Country music is at the heart of Nashville’s tourism draw, and Big Machine is one of the biggest local players helping shape the city’s signature brand. The label is often heralded as a homegrown success story for Nashville’s famed Music Row, an independent outfit excelling alongside the industry giants. Not your average label Big Machine’s offices are like nothing else you’ll find on Music Row. There are fur-covered chairs and chandeliers that look like they’ve been plucked from a “Game of Thrones” set. On the building’s ground floor, a “vibe room” with lowslung sofas and dim lighting provides a hip alternative to the standard-issue conference room just above it. The entire aesthetic — meticulously designed by Spika Borchetta, who has since been promoted to Big Machine’s senior vice president of creative — quickly lets visitors know to expect anything other than the status quo. But there is a caveat to Big Machine’s nonconformity: “We don’t rebel just to rebel,” Scott Borchetta said. “But we’re always going to ask a question, because if we don’t understand something, we want to know why. ‘Why did you decide to do that?’ ‘What information do you have?’ ‘What inspired you?’ And the worst thing you can ever say is, ‘Well, this is how we’ve always done it.’ That means opportunity.” While Borchetta is certainly the fearless leader at Big Machine, the company culture is one of collaboration, not creative dictatorship. “Scott is unique in that he is the founder and CEO of one of the most successful small businesses in the music industry, but he surrounds himself with people that he expects to not just say ‘yes,’” said Kautz, now Big Machine’s chief operating officer. “He challenges us to shoot holes in the big and crazy ideas, as well as complement them with our own ideas. If it just can’t work, he is the first to say it was a mistake, and we pivot.” And not all ideas are birthed in senior-level meetings. “It doesn’t matter who comes up with the idea,” Borchetta said. “It can’t be about me, or just the handful of top executives. Then we will make the mistakes that we’ve tried so hard not to make, and that other big companies have made. We just look for people who are passionate about this, to begin with, and it’s great when you get a bunch of 21-year-olds in here, nipping at your heels, and going, ‘Did you think of this?’” “Disruption” is what they call this process, and in honor of the company’s 10-year anniversary last fall, they emblazoned hats, hoodies and T-shirts with the tagline, “10 Years of Disruption.” That merchandise is, of course, available online, but fans also can pick it up at the Big Machine retail store on Third Avenue. What started as a popup store during the 2015 CMA Music Festival was such a hit that it is now a permanent part of the downtown landscape — and it’s also a uniquely orchestrated way to increase artist-fan interaction and leverage additional revenue streams.
The store sells vinyl records as collector’s items, plenty of artist merchandise and an entire line of apparel (for adults, kids and pets) designed by Spika Borchetta to raise awareness and money for Big Machine’s “Music Has Value” fund. Big Machine then distributes those funds to nonprofits “which support those who make music, aspire to make music and access and appreciate music.” Bringing together artists and writers Despite the marketing moves and philanthropy efforts, ultimately, everything Big Machine does goes back to the music. Big Machine’s earliest artist signings were, like Swift, singer/songwriters to whom Borchetta bequeathed nearly all creative control. But when it was time to hire someone who could take a more involved role in guiding the projects of new artists, Borchetta knew exactly who to call: artists and repertoire veteran Allison Jones, who previously worked with Borchetta at the now defunct DreamWorks Nashville label. “When Scott believed in something, he fought for it at all levels,” said Jones, Big Machine’s senior vice president of A&R, the division responsible for finding and developing talent. “He’s always been a forward thinker, an innovator and, honestly, a trailblazer. That term is overused, but he really was.” As with other 21st century A&R execs, Jones regularly scours social media for the next hot artist or songwriter, but she also has an advantage that her contemporaries don’t. “The unique thing about our creative world here at Big Machine is that publishing and A&R work in the same building,” Jones explained. “This is my seventh record label, and that’s never existed at any other label where I’ve worked.” This unparalleled proximity gives Jones day-to-day access to Mike Molinar, vice president and general manager of Big Machine Music, the label’s publishing company. “Mike literally works next to me, and he oversees all of the songwriters and the day-to-day business that goes into the publishing world, and I oversee the day-to-day A&R world,” Jones said. “But our worlds morph. I rely on them to look for talent, and they rely on me to help look for songwriters.” More than country Obviously, this in-house synergy isn’t the only way Big Machine breaks tradition in scouting talent. According to Borchetta, his stint as a mentor on Fox Network’s singing competition show “American Idol” was never about his own face time. The end game, he said, was always to treat the show like an artist-development boot camp — one that unfolded in real time, in front of millions of weekly viewers.
With that in mind, the stars may have aligned for Borchetta and Big Machine when Trent Harmon was named winner of the 15th, and final, season of “Idol.” The Mississippi-born crooner has distinct country roots, but after flowing effortlessly between multiple genres on the show (he nailed performances of songs by singer/songwriter Sia and R&B/pop icon Justin Timberlake, among others), he proved that his star may shine bigger than Nashville. And that’s exactly what Borchetta loves most about him. “The genre that we’re going in for my new album hasn’t necessarily been defined,” Harmon said. “When there’s no exact blueprint to follow, you don’t have to reference other artists. You don’t have to say, ‘Hey, we’re going to make an album like this.’ … It works hand-in-hand with Big Machine, as they are usually ahead of the curve in the music game.”
Country music has certainly evolved over the years, and its contemporary sounds incorporate elements from R&B, rock and pop styles. But, for the most part, the operations at Nashville’s biggest labels have remained fairly formulaic. Not so at Big Machine. As a long-time fan of the rock band Cheap Trick, Borchetta quickly offered the guys a record deal after learning that they had fallen on hard times. He’s since effectively resurrected the band’s career, landing them a performance spot on the 2016 CMA Awards and helping to secure their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He also signed pop singer/songwriter Laura Marano, who is best known for her starring role on Disney Channel’s tween sitcom “Austin and Ally.” “While other companies are spending time on policies, budgets and projections,” Kautz said, “we are looking for artists that can deliver music that makes the hair stand up on our arms and gives you goosebumps.” Borchetta agrees. “We always say that we want to provide the arena for artists to do their best work, because our job here, on a lot of levels, is really as support staff,” he said. “Especially now, artists are naked to criticism, so we really try to make sure that, in every opportunity, in creation and delivery, they’re protected to do the work they need to do and want to do.”
JUSTIN MOORE SCORES THIRD #1 ALBUM DEBUT WITH KINDA DON'T CARE
OVER 56,000 FANS SHOW UP TO SEE KENNY CHESNEY
After a whirlwind release week filled with sold-out shows, once-in-a-lifetime fan experiences and late night adventures, JUSTIN MOORE has much to celebrate as his fourth studio album KINDA DON'T CARE (The Valory Music Co.) notches the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The project features his newly minted Top 5 single "You Look Like I Need A Drink" and also earned the singer his fourth Top 10 All Genre debut, landing at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. KELSEA BALLERINI SHINES WITH "PETER PAN" PERFORMANCE ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA'S 2016 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
"Oh, there you are," said Kenny Chesney, standing onstage at MetLife Stadium, pointing into the far part of the crowd. "There you are." Pausing for a moment, he took the 56,292 fans in, before announcing, "This is the most beautiful sight! Music and songs are the most powerful things we have in our lives... Just look around." With a few more words, he invited the full-capacity crowd to sing along - something they'd been doing all night anyway then launched into 2004's "I Go Back." The crowd's response was deafening as they sang along to the song-invoking smash about the way music watermarks people's lives. For Chesney, approaching the end of 2016's Spread the Love Tour - complete with 14 major stadiums - it marks his love affair with the No Shoes Nation. With two hours of hits - from the truly vintage "Don't Happen Twice" and "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" to the six-week No. 1s "When The Sun Goes Down" and "Summertime" to the brand new "Noise" - it was a truly loud love fest in Jersey that saw the crowd sing along to every song, almost louder than the headliner
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS FOR "MAY WE ALL" VIDEO PREMIERE ON YOUTUBE
performance of the iconic “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Kim Campbell will accept the award
ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC® ANNOUNCES THE ACM MERLE HAGGARD SPIRIT AWARD TO CELEBRATE HAGGARD’S INFLUENCE & LEGACY INAUGURAL AWARD TO BE PRESENTED AT THE 10TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS
With the release of their highly anticipated DIG YOUR ROOTS album just around the corner, superstar duo Florida Georgia Line are gearing up for the world premiere of their new "May We All" music video, a one-of-a-kind mini-movie for the project's second single with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage shot in 360° virtual reality technology. Premiering exclusively on the FGL YouTube channel Monday (August 29) at 8 p.m. ET, the video is unlike anything Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley have done before, with the duo acting out roles as a pair of ultra-competitive, race-car driving brothers and proudly sharing the screen with successful actor and country icon Tim McGraw (who also sings on the track). Leading up to the premiere, fans can get a sneak peek at all the high-speed action with unique behind-the-scenes virtual reality content going live on the FGL YouTube channel tomorrow (August 24).
DIERKS BENTLEY, TOBY KEITH, BLAKE SHELTON & KEITH URBAN TO PERFORM ALL-STAR MEDLEY HONORING GLEN CAMPBELL he Academy of Country Music® (ACM) announced that Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban will take the stage at the 10TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS™ for a special tribute to Glen Campbell, who as previously announced will be honored with the ACM Career Achievement Award. The country music luminaries will perform an all-star medley of Campbell’s greatest hits, culminating to an ensemble
The Academy of Country Music® (ACM) announced today the inception of the ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award. Approved by the ACM Special Awards Panel and voted on by the ACM Board, this new award will honor uncompromising artists in the spirit of Merle Haggard, while acknowledging a man who has figured prominently in ACM history. The Academy will bestow the inaugural ACM Merle Haggard Spirit Award at the 10th Annual ACM Honors™ to a recipient still to be announced. Hosted by multi-ACM Award-winning group Lady Antebellum, the 10th ACM Honors will tape on Tuesday, August 30 at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, and make its television debut on Friday, September 9 (9:0011:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
DOLLY PARTON RELEASES PURE & SIMPLE WITH DOLLY'S BIGGEST HITS - 2 CD SET - EXCLUSIVELY AT WALMART
CHRIS STAPLETON TO TOUR CANADA WITH LINDI ORTEGA
Dolly Parton, who released her 43rd studio album, Pure & Simple, a disc of 10 new songs, this past Friday, August 19, is excited to announce the exclusive Walmart 2 CD package which includes Pure & Simple with Dolly's Biggest Hits available NOW! In support of Pure & Simple's release, catch Dolly as she performs tomorrow on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” and appears on “Fox & Friends,” and catch her performance on “TODAY,” on Wednesday morning. Additional media hits include “Access Hollywood,” “Celebrity Page,” “CMT Top 20 Countdown,” “GAC Great American Playlist,” “Fox NewsEdge,” CBS Newspath, CNN and many more!
Mercury's Chris Stapleton will kick off a six-city 2017 Canadian tour March 18 in London, ON at Budweiser Gardens. Joining him is The Grand Tour/Last Gang's Lindi Ortega. The Canadian tour starts March 18th and ends in Vancouver on March 27th.
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